Hungarian officials have confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Hungary in the coming weeks, notwithstanding an international arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) related to the ongoing war in Gaza.
Gergely Gulyás, chief of staff to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, announced at a press conference in Budapest on Thursday that Netanyahu is expected to visit before Easter, which falls on April 20 this year. This announcement represents a significant diplomatic stance by Hungary amid international legal controversy.
The International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and several Hamas officials over alleged war crimes committed in Gaza. As an ICC member state, Hungary would typically be required to detain individuals with active arrest warrants if they enter Hungarian territory.
However, Prime Minister Orban, a staunch ally of Netanyahu, has explicitly stated that Hungary will not comply with the ICC arrest warrant. Orban has characterized the ICC’s actions as politically motivated interference in the Israel-Gaza conflict. In November, Orban wrote to Netanyahu denouncing the ICC warrants and extending an official invitation for a state visit to Hungary.
The ICC lacks direct enforcement power, and European countries that are signatories to the court’s founding treaty have shown varying interpretations on how to handle these warrants. France has stated that Netanyahu possesses immunity from ICC actions because Israel has not ratified the court’s statutes. Italy has similarly argued that arresting Netanyahu would not be feasible while he remains in office as Israel’s Prime Minister.
In the Netherlands, home to the ICC, Prime Minister Dick Schoof recently suggested that there could be ways for Netanyahu to visit without being arrested, despite the ICC arrest warrant. Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated in January that Netanyahu would have safe passage and would not face arrest had he chosen to attend the 80th-anniversary commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz.
Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has also extended an invitation to Netanyahu, stating that arrangements would be made to prevent any arrest. “I think it is a completely absurd idea that an Israeli prime minister cannot visit the Federal Republic of Germany,” Merz declared.
At Thursday’s press conference, Gulyás expressed support for Hungary potentially withdrawing from the ICC, claiming that the court has “lost its meaning by conducting political instead of legal activities.” However, he clarified that Hungary’s government has not yet made any formal decision regarding withdrawal from the international body.
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